Four Tips to Stop Snacking Endlessly When You Work From Home
When your daily journey from your bedroom to your home office is 20 steps, the biggest threats to your weight and health are the lack of movement and the temptations of a fully stocked kitchen and refrigerator. Here are tips on how to break Pac-Man-like habits when you don’t even have to leave the house.
For the past year and a half I have been working at home, in coworking spaces and in cafes . The dangers of insufficient movement and the temptations to graze hurt me as much as anyone at my desk. My advantage is that I built it into a workout routine (which itself takes time to develop). I also go for walks, but in order to force myself to do them, I find them necessary breaks to recharge my creativity or help me solve problems. The problem of snacking remains, so here’s what helped curb the urge to mindlessly snack:
- Remember why you are tempted to eat: Usually, when you figure out why you are hungry, you are obviously hungry or just want a bite to eat. More often than not, you’re just bored or trying to avoid work. Once you understand this, it might be time to rethink your priorities.
- Keep small snacks away from home: even if I portion up a large bag of, say, popcorn (my weakness), I will still sneak here and there – and before you know it, the whole Portia is gone! But if you don’t have anything in your house to eat, you won’t be able to eat. So keep snacks away from home, or at least completely out of sight. If you don’t see it, you are less likely to have a snack.
- Win the Battle at the Grocery Store: The above means that the real “battle” takes place at the store. First, don’t shop while you’re hungry. Just don’t do it. Second, ask yourself every time you are tempted to eat a snack: “Is this something that will please me without regrets in 30 minutes?” and “Will I like it today?” The second question helps me, because sometimes I try to convince myself to buy, even if I don’t eat it much later, when I’ve already lost interest.
- Eat Buffer Foods When You Need a Snack: Buffer foods are snacks that satisfy cravings and keep you feeling confident about your choices. An example would be a banana, a tablespoon of peanut butter, or two squares of chocolate. So if you need a snack, at least make it smarter.
See the link below (full disclosure, this is my personal site) for more details.